


Dancing in the Moonlight

by CorporalPebbles



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Angst, Angst and Humor, Ballroom Dancing, Cute, Dancing, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Humor, Love, Love Confessions, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-21
Updated: 2014-02-21
Packaged: 2018-01-13 07:36:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1217899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CorporalPebbles/pseuds/CorporalPebbles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Though he’d never admit it, Eren loved dancing. It made him sound queer but, well, he was. My first oneshot, and it's Ereri fluff!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dancing in the Moonlight

Though he’d never admit it, Eren loved dancing. It made him sound queer but, well, he was. And when he saw Levi through the cracked door, doing the thing he so loved, his heart skipped a beat. One of Levi’s rigid arms was sticking out at the shoulder and was bent ninety degrees across his body, and the other arm was held straight out from its socket with the hand loosely holding nothing. He was moving slowly with precise steps to the melody he was humming. Eren longed to step through the door and wrap himself into Levi’s arms, to press against him and move with his body. But he couldn’t. Because he couldn’t dance.

It made Eren’s heart hurt that Levi shared his passion for dancing but he couldn’t partake in any with him. Of course, he could, but Levi would laugh at his heavy-footedness and lack of rhythm while he danced so elegantly. Everything about Levi was elegant - he wore a cravat for Titan’s sake! And everything about Eren was rough and crude and without thought. He was the pauper and Levi, the prince. And somehow, Levi liked him. For a reason beyond Eren’s understanding, he liked how Eren was loud and impulsive. It was crazy. But Levi wouldn’t like how Eren danced. No one would like how Eren danced.

As Eren walked away from Levi’s room he made a decision. He was going to dance with Levi! And soon, he was going to dance with Levi a week later. But before then, he’d need teaching. Luckily, there were many people he could ask.

Mikasa was the first person that flashed in his brain. They had “danced” as children. “Danced” as in held hands, lent back and span in a circle until they felt too dizzy to carry on or one had let go of the other’s hands and they gone flying to the floor. That had happened on many occasions. Usually, it was Mikasa who dropped Eren’s hands and watched him thump to the floor. She’d laugh and call Armin to see Eren in a lump on the ground. Eren thought about it - maybe Mikasa wasn’t the best teacher after all. She was like a sister to Eren, no, she was a sister to him but could he trust her not to hurt him while dancing? Hell no.

Armin was the second thought. He was Eren’s best friend - he’d help teach him, right? But could Armin even dance himself? And would he be okay with Eren asking him to teach him how to dance for Levi’s purpose? Eren wasn’t sure if Armin even knew about their relationship, let alone whether he was okay about it. Armin was protective and dependent and could easily get upset about Eren and Levi’s relationship. Eren didn’t really understand why he would but it was Armin - he was sensitive. Eren decided that Armin wasn’t the one to teach him - he probably didn’t know how to dance anyway.

Eren was walking through the dormitory to his bunk when he saw Jean. Can Jean dance? Eren thought. Then, he laughed out loud. Of course he can’t. Jean glared at him.

“What you laughing at, Jaeger?” Jean spat.

Eren shook his head, a smile still playing on his lips. “Oh, nothing, Jean. Just a funny thought.” 

Jean’s glare sharpened, if that was physically possible.

“Shut up,” he hissed, like it was a good come back.

Eren, who was walking towards the bathroom, just dismissively waved his hand and disappeared out of the dormitory. Jean couldn’t dance, and plus, it was Jean, who’d want to be taught by that arrogant prick? He’d definitely take the piss! And tell everyone, and that’s something Eren didn’t want. He didn’t even want Levi, someone he’d trust with his life, to know his inability to dance, let alone Jean or the whole of the Survey Corps. Jean was another person he couldn’t ask; maybe there were less people than he thought.

 

The days were passing quickly and still Eren had two left feet. He tried to teach himself in the middle of the night when he thought everyone was asleep. He’d get up and attempt simple steps that he’d seen people do before - his mother and father, and Levi. But he was clumsy and would step on his own feet and tumble downwards. Connie woke up one night when Eren had a particularly bad fall after mixing his left foot up with his right.

“Who’s there?” Connie called, still half asleep.

“Er,” Eren muttered, standing up quickly. “It’s Eren.”

“Oh.” Connie scratched his head. “What are you doing?”

Teaching myself to dance so I can impress Corporal Levi. 

“Nothing,” Eren snapped. “I just tripped whilst walking to the bathroom.”

“Oh,” Connie said again. He paused for a moment and blinked sleep out of his eyes. “Are you okay, Eren? You’re acting weird.”

“You’re acting weird!” Eren retorted, too quickly and angrily. He dramatically shook his head. “I’m sorry, Connie. I’m just tired.” He walked past the boy back into the dorm. “I think I’ll go back to sleep. You should do the same.”

Connie stared at him for a moment before closing his open mouth and moving to his bed himself. “Night, Eren,” he said before closing his eyes.

Eren stayed awake, staring at the wall. Could Connie teach him how to dance? Or not. Connie was a lovely guy, just a little… enthusiastic. And enthusiastic is a nice way of putting it; another way being “bat-shit crazy”. Clumsy, impulsive, impatient Eren and excitably insane Connie dancing? Someone would get hurt. Eren rolled onto his front and sighed into the pillow. Maybe he could just avoid Levi forever and never talk to him again, let alone dance. The thought made Eren frown. He couldn’t do that. 

Eren had been ignoring Levi for a couple of days now, avoiding him in the streets, making himself oblivious to any advances at communication and rejecting any messages Levi passed through people or the notes stuffed into Eren’s back pocket. It was hard to turn a blind eye to the guy he loved, but Eren felt as if he had to. Until he could dance he would ignore Corporal Levi.

The days were moving so quickly and Eren could still not move three steps without knocking himself down. He was running out of options, and people. Sasha was another person he spotted and after a short moment he realised that she could not teach him how to dance. The main reason: he would have to bribe her with food. It was the same with Hange Zoe; she would only help if Eren agreed to be part of her experiments which Levi wouldn’t be happy about - another person touching his “property” and all. Eren hadn’t asked Sasha or Hange or anyone, he just knew the outcome already. People wanted something in return. When people were dying left, right and centre, no one was in the mood to do something out of the kindness of their heart.

Eren had two days left and one person yet to contemplate, but this person was incredibly important and just happened to be one Commander Erwin Smith. Eren planned on approaching his office, knocking, entering when told and just ask Erwin to help him. He knew how Erwin and Levi were friends, whatever the meaning of that word was, and so Eren thought Erwin would be willing to help. But Erwin was a leader and superior and Commander Erwin! Eren had gotten to the door of his office when he chickened out - he couldn’t ask his Commander that. That night Eren went back to his dormitory and pushed his face into the pillow.

“I’m going to have to face him,” he muttered to himself. “Dancing or no dancing.”

 

The evening had come and Eren could avoid Levi no longer. He continually sent him messages telling him to come to see him, or tried to talk to him, but Eren just ignored him. But he could avoid Levi no longer. Plus, he wanted to see him. He missed him. He wanted to press his lips against Levi’s and be held tightly. So, Eren shuffled towards Levi’s door and knocked lightly.

“Come in,” Levi said from inside. The tone of his voice was muffled by the wood of the door.

Eren slipped into the room and stood awkwardly at the door. Levi was sitting in the chair behind the oak desk in front of the windows that ran across the left side of the room. The head of his bed was flush against the far wall and was clothed in pristine sheets. The right wall held a door to the bathroom and nothing else. The final wall had the door Eren had just walked through, a plush sitting chair and a fireplace. The centre of the room was empty but for two chairs in front of the desk and a patterned rug.

Levi didn’t move when Eren walked in, he merely looked up from the papers he was inspecting. Eren, himself, just shut the door behind him and stood at the corner of the rug furthest from Levi; he was blushing without realising.

“You been ignoring me, Jaeger?” Levi asked, his voice almost bored, his eyes still on the paper. Like Eren he was wearing his uniform, minus the jacket which was slung over the back of the chair. 

Eren made a strangled cry. He was a shit liar. And he’d made it so obvious. “No,” he tried.

“No,” Levi copied in an overly high-pitched imitation of Eren whose voice had dropped anyway. “I don’t believe you, brat.” Now, Levi looked up from the paper, glaring at Eren with eyes that froze him.

Eren tried to protest but Levi just placed the papers down and got up from the chair. He was still staring at Eren as he stormed towards him, stopping abruptly when the two were inches apart. “So, Humanity’s Biggest Bullshitter, why were you ignoring me?”

Eren blushed and sighed. He could have lied, he could have told him some stupid story that made him sound dumb, he could have told him something simple that Levi wouldn’t believe or he could have turned, ran out and eloped to Titan territory to escape Levi, but he didn’t. He took a breath, his eyes trained on the floor, and told him the truth.

“I saw you dancing,” he started weakly. “And I like dancing. And I wanted to dance with you. But I can’t.”

Levi frowned quite a lot in his day to day life. Especially when he was surrounded by dirt or teenagers or dirty teenagers or Eren; but he frowned even more now.

“What are you on about?” he asked, confused, angry and slightly aroused.

Eren ran a hand through his hair. “I wanted to ask everyone to teach me but I didn’t want to ask anyone to teach me.”

“That’s a contradiction, Eren. You’re not making sense,” Levi said with a sigh and a roll of his eyes.

Eren blushed brighter. He mentally punched himself. What a dick! He thought. Why am I such a dick? Instead of lashing out or crying an overpowering anger and energy came over him.

“I want to dance with you!” Eren suddenly shouted. “But I can’t dance.”

Levi was startled for a moment while Eren gawped at him, wide eyed. Then, Levi laughed.

“You adorable brat,” he joked, leaning in towards Eren, wrapping a hand around the back of his neck as he angled his face into his. Their lips brushed and Eren wondered how he could have avoided Levi for a week. The kiss was quick and soft and incredibly pleasant. Levi leaned back slightly, enough to see Eren’s face but most of their bodies were still touching. 

“Put your hand on my shoulder,” Levi instructed, his once hard face softening. 

“What?” Eren asked, looking up with confused green eyes.

“I, Corporal Levi of the Scouting Legion, pledge to teach you, Eren ‘Angry Titan Boy’ Jaeger, how to dance. Now put your hand on my shoulder.”

Eren complied and placed a hand of Levi’s shoulder. Levi responded by placing a hand on Eren’s waist, making him yelp slightly. Levi was smiling at that when he put his arm out and gestured for Eren to put his arm in the same position and rejoin the contact at the hand. Eren put his arm into position before removing it to wipe his sweaty palm on his trouser leg. Levi scowled but still took Eren’s hand when he put it against his palm. They were standing correctly just looking at each other for a while.

“You’re short,” Eren giggled. 

“You’re a shitty little brat,” Levi retorted - much softer than a punch in the gut. Levi shook the remark off but subconsciously straightening and tilted his chin upwards. “This is the correct ballroom dancing hold. Considering you’re… taller… your right arm is at about shoulder-level so that my arm is bent upwards from the elbow. You have your hand on my shoulder because I’m leading.”

“I want to lead,” Eren moaned, then laughed, showing Levi’s glare that it was but a joke.

Levi just rolled his eyes and grasped Eren’s waist tighter. “Now we’ve got the position we can begin the movements.” 

Levi didn’t wait to explain to Eren what he was doing before he did it. Their heads touched as they stared down the tunnel made by their bodies to Levi’s feet which seemed to be moving in a way that made Eren both smile and sulk - he could never do that.

“I can’t do that,” Eren mumbled when Levi had stopped.

“I understand that you’re incompetent, Eren, but can you really not transfer your weight from your left foot to your right foot?” 

Eren glared at Levi for a moment before he looked down to his feet and tried the steps. Somehow, Eren managed to step on his own toe, stumble and fall against Levi.

“Sorry,” he groaned into his chest.

“I’m not sure I am,” Levi whispered under his breath as he held Eren against his chest for a moment. Levi liked how Eren felt pressed against him and, though he hated the teasing that came with being so short, he liked to see Eren bending impossibly to be smaller than him and press his face against his chest. After a short while he let go of his grip in Eren’s hair. “We must dance.” 

Eren reluctantly backed away from Levi and put his arms in the right position again. He gulped lightly when Levi’s hand pressed into the small of his back instead of his waist. Levi pulled them to touch and tightened his hold on Eren. 

“I’m going to move and you’re going to follow. Just step with me,” he explained, his voice devoid of any malice or sarcasm like it was usually.  
“I can’t,” Eren muttered, avoiding Levi’s piercing eyes.

Levi lifted Eren’s face with a finger under his chin. “You can. It’s just like learning a new fight sequence. It’s just moves. Okay?” 

Eren gave a slightly nervous nod before Levi stepped to the right, pulling Eren to move the same way. Levi stepped right again so that his feet were together, and Eren joined him, stepping to his left. 

“This is called the ‘step touch’,” Levi explained as Eren looked down at his feet. Levi simply stepped to the right with his right foot, then followed the foot with his left, touched the ground, and then stepped to the left with his left foot, and then followed his left foot with his right, touching the floor again before he moved it back. Eren was forced to do the same thing but opposite by the hand on his back which was pressing him to move the right way. “Simple?”

Eren looked up from his feet to Levi. He gawped at him. To Eren, Levi was beautiful. He was short and mardy and rude and a clean-freak but he was a perfect leader, an incredible fighter and the best boyfriend Eren could have asked for. He called him a ‘brat’ at least three thousand times a day but Eren’s heart still skipped when he looked into the storm in Levi’s eyes. Eren didn’t understand Levi; couldn’t he have any person he wanted? But he wanted Eren and that confused him.

“Eren, do you understand the steps?” Levi asked, getting irritated. Eren realised he had not yet replied.

“Uh,” he mumbled. “Yes, Sir.”

Levi rolled his eyes for the millionth time that night. “Less of the ‘sir’, Jaeger.”

“Yes, S-“ Eren joked, which resulted in Levi squeezing his hand. “Yes, Levi. I think I understand.”

“Good,” Levi said with a genuine grin. “I’m going to dance with you now. I’m going to lead and you’re going to follow and you’re not going to break a bone, okay?”

Levi didn’t wait for a response before he stepped backwards, pulling Eren to follow by moving forwards. The steps started slow and careful as Eren muttered counts under his breath. But soon Eren became confident and leaned against Levi as they moved. He was just melting into his body when he got carried away.

Eren’s foot went down a little heavily and Levi howled.

“You shit-faced fuck!” Levi shouted.

He had let go of Eren and was leaning against the corner of his desk, gripping his toe. Eren watched him, ashamed and close to tears.

“Fuck fuck fuck,” Levi hissed under his breath. It was only now that Eren realised Levi was barefoot and he was booted in his thick soled shoes. 

“I’m sorry,” he muttered, scratching the back of his head. “I should never have come. I’m sorry.”

Eren’s shoulders drooped as he turned and began to walk out, dragging his feet. He heard Levi’s feet drop to the floor and him limping over before he felt Levi’s arms around his waist. 

“You’re not going yet,” Levi said into his back. “I’m not having my boyfriend being completely rhythmless.”

Eren expected that Levi had wrapped his arms around him to stop him leaving in a sweet gesture. Levi, however, must have had something different in mind. He bent his knees and pulled Eren upwards. Eren yelped as he was lifted up off the ground, only to be replaced moments later.

“Was that supposed to be a lift?” Eren asked, laughing at the shitty attempt.

“You weigh a lot more than you’d think,” Levi replied as they turned to face one another. “We can do lifts another day.”

“Another day?” Eren repeated, putting his arms into position. “That implies that this will be a recurring thing, and that I won’t have killed you by then.”

Levi wrapped himself in Eren’s hold. “I’d kill you out of irritation before your idea of “dancing” could kill me.”

Eren laughed and Levi flashed his teeth. Eren thought that Levi couldn’t physically smile but when he first told him how he felt - all blushing and avoiding eye contact - he realised that Levi could show emotion other than disgust, he could smile, he was actually an amazing person but he wasn’t as cool as everyone made out. 

“Take two?” Levi asked, gesturing to his feet. Eren nodded slightly. “Remember, you’re not in the Military Police, you’re not marching for the King. Less of the stampy feet.”

 

It took the pair the whole of the evening and the start of the night to manage simple steps. There was a lot of stumbling, insults, stepping on toes (though Levi had made Eren take his boots off), shouts, small arguments and counting underneath breaths. Eren was clumsy and would fall and trip but Levi would catch him against his body. Many apologies were whispered into Levi’s neck as they pressed against one another and shifted weight from foot to foot. 

Eventually, the dancing became less of a train wreck just as the moon was at its brightest. It lit the room with silver light through the open windows. Bars of darkness from the join of the panes cast shadows on the rug where Levi and Eren danced slowly, pressed together. It was far from perfect but it was a start and Eren was finally dancing with Levi. 

Though the situation was fantastic in every way, as Levi held his head against Eren’s chest and Eren placed his head on top of Levi’s, Eren couldn’t help but wonder why Levi wasn’t bothered about the scruffy, inelegant, disgusting way that Eren, who was still slightly embarrassed, danced. 

“Levi.”

Levi didn’t move his head from its place against Eren’s chest, but he hummed in acknowledgment.

“I don’t know why,” Eren began, choosing his words carefully. “But I thought you’d hate the way I danced. I thought you’d think I was gross. But you don’t, and I want to know why.”

Levi lifted his head a looked incredulously at Eren. “Why would I think any less of you because you can’t do something?” he asked. “There is something that everyone you know cannot do.”

Eren blinked at Levi momentarily.

“And that’s okay,” Levi finished before putting his head in the crook of Eren’s neck.

Eren held his mouth open for a long time before he remembered to shut it. His throat itched for the question playing on his mind to be asked. It was personal, maybe too personal. But Eren wanted to know. And so he asked.

“What can’t you do, Levi?” 

Levi pulled his head away from Eren again and looked at him for a long moment. His grey eyes searched the green in front of him. He was silent and the movement of their dancing had stopped. The look suggested that Levi wanted to tell Eren but before he could spill his weaknesses to Eren, he closed his eyes and put his head back in its place by Eren’s heart.

Eren wanted to know Levi’s weakness, he really did, but if Levi didn’t want Eren to know then he wouldn’t bother him any further. Instead, he placed his head back on top of Levi’s and closed his eyes. The dancing had slowed and was more of a slow sway than a tango. Bodies were warm against each other and, through the thin shirts they both wore, blood was pumping through veins from their beating hearts. The dancing had been music-less but for Levi’s humming but now his tune had also diminished. There was silence as they moved from foot to foot, every inch of their bodies touching. Eren’s eyes itched with tiredness and he thought for a moment that Levi had actually fallen asleep against him. They continued to dance for a long time with no sound but for air brushing as they moved.

“Do you want to know what I can’t do?” Levi asked after a while. His voice broke the silence though he had not moved his head away from Eren’s heart.

Eren didn’t shift either. He kept his head atop of Levi’s as he nodded.

“Eren.”

Levi was heard to gulp before he was silent for a moment.

“I can’t not fall in love with you.”


End file.
